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Home
security and your UK home insurance |
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It is in your interests to
make sure that your home is a safe and secure place. The security of your home
will also affect your insurance- some UK home insurance companies will even refuse
to offer you a policy if your property does not comply with certain security levels.
More importantly, a burglary can disturb you psychologically for a long time.
Your house should be the safest place that you can be; the following tips will
help you to make sure that it is.
- The security of outside doors is of the utmost importance. Make sure
that your doors are fitted with deadlocks that conform to at least BS3621. These
are the safest kind of lock you can buy as they can only be opened by a key- a
thief cannot just smash a window, reach in and open the door, or fiddle the lock
with an implement like a plastic card.
- Doors usually locked from the inside should also be fitted with bolts.
Make sure that the door itself is strong and safe, however, otherwise there is
no point in fitting locks- the door or frame will simply give way before the lock
does.
- Fit patio doors with extra security locks in order to prevent the
slicing frame from being lifted off the tracks. Double doors should also have
bolts at the top and the bottom of the door as well as a lock. If possible, these
should be security bolts with removable keys.
- Windows are a real danger area when it comes to burglars and thieves.
Fit key operated locks to any windows which you think could be accessed easily,
such as ground floor windows or those near to drainpipes, flat roofs or fences.
- It's easy to do it for convenience but leaving keys in locks defeats
the point of having the lock there in the first place. Always take keys with you
and never leave spare keys outside of the house in 'secret' hiding places- it
won't be quite so secret to a potential burglar. If you are worried about locking
yourself out then try leaving a key with a family member or trusted friend or
neighbour.
- If you are going away then don't make it obvious. A house that has been dark
at night for the past week with all its curtains open is a giveaway to a burglar,
as would be a home with towering piles of newspapers outside or milk bottles lining
the garden path. Try asking a neighbour to keep an eye on your house and, if you
have a mailbox, to remove your mail and store it for you elsewhere.
- Make a list of all your most valuable possessions along with their
serial numbers, make and model number if they are electrical items. You can also
buy a property marking kit on which you can write the number of your house and
your postcode. Take photographs if necessary as an extra precaution and keep them
with your policy details. Ask your local policeman or Crime Prevention Officer
for advice on the best ways to protect your belongings.
- Don't open your door to anyone you don't recognise. Ask for proof
of any visitor's identity and get a confirmation from their head office by telephone
if you are unsure of them. Door chains are useful in such an instance as you can
get a good look at a person or be passed identity documents without exposing yourself
unnecessarily.
- Safes are also an extra precaution you could take to protect small
valuable possessions. Make sure you get the advice of your Crime Prevention Officer
or UK home insurance company before you splash out on a product that isn't of
the highest quality.
- Burglar alarms are an added security measure that you could take. Be
sure to get the advice of your insurance company first before fitting one so that
you are sure that it conforms to adequate safety standards.
- Join your local neighbourhood watch scheme. If there isn't one, why
not set one up yourself? Speak to the Police to find out what schemes are available
in your area.
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